134 COSMIC PHILOSOPHY. [pt. i. 



for much foolish warfare, and which underlies the whole 

 iniquitous system of so-called " protective " tariffs by which 

 so many countries are even yet impoverished. Verily this 

 illegitimate deduction, which verifies neither premise nor 

 conclusion, but relies wholly on subjective coherence, hafj 

 been tried quite long enough by the test which Conite 

 recommends for it. Just so far as men have verified their 

 hypotheses, either by direct observation, or by deduction 

 based on observation, have they extended the boundaries of 

 knowledge. Just so far as they have neglected such verifica- 

 tion, have they gone astray amid the countless vagaries which 

 have ever loved to encumber the path of scientific inquiry. 

 To admit that we do not know what we have not verified 

 requires rare self-denial, no doubt; a self-denial to which 

 nothing, save the patient habit of scientific inquiry, can fully 

 accustom us. This is the " inconvenience " of which Comte 

 speaks, as attaching to the objective method. But mankind 

 are fast reaching philosophic maturity ; and we are already 

 getting too thoroughly used to the requirements of science 

 to be much longer content with the childish device of play- 

 ing that whatever is in our ideas is in the facts. Whatever 

 may be our failings in practice, we have become nearly 

 unanimous in the declaration that before any hypothesis can 

 be accepted it must be verified. 



Strange that in the latter half of the nineteenth century 

 these criticisms should still need to be made ! Stranger still 

 that they should be called forth by the writings of the great 

 successor of Bacon and organizer of positive philosophy ! 

 Strangest of all that able men should still be found so 

 imbued with the spirit of discipleship as to resort to all 

 manner of logical subterfuges in order to destroy their force ! 

 Yet to show that I have by no means exaggerated the 

 perversity of Comte's position, let me cite a page from Mr. 

 Mill. " Among all the aberrations of scientific men, Comte 

 thinks none greater than the pedantic anxiety the v ' show 



